Don't Let Them Look Through the Curtains
by Paceso
Summary: An account of the dissension between Albus and Aberforth over the care of Ariana, and their different attitudes toward the Dumbledores' reputation. An entry for the International Wizarding School Competition, season 2, round 1.


IWSC Season 2 round 1

Beauxbatons 2nd year

Theme: Godric's Hollow

Special rule: write a pairing you have never written before (Aberforth/Albus, negative)

Prompts: [song] Dollhouse, by Melanie Martinez (main prompt); [emotion] jealousy; [weather] thunderstorm

WC: 2057

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Author's Note:

This story is set in the school holidays a month or two before Ariana lost control of her magic and accidentally killed Kendra. The dialogue is based primarily on Aberforth's account of his family dynamics as told to the Trio in ch.28 of Deathly Hallows. Its title and theme echo the lyrics in the song prompt ("Everyone thinks that we're perfect/Please don't let them look through the curtains/Picture, picture, smile for the picture") which speak of putting on a pretence for outsiders and not letting them see what's really going on behind the facade. Of the three main characters, only Aberforth is defiantly straightforward; Kendra and Albus are both hiding their inner fears from the other two, as well as hiding Ariana from the world. The stormy weather outside and the shattered china indoors symbolise the difficulties the three of them are going through.

* * *

**Don't Let Them Look Through The Curtains**

Aberforth absentmindedly scratched his favourite goat's head as he gazed unseeingly across the expansive back garden. Gathering storm clouds cast an ominous gloom over him, echoing his mood. It was the first day of the holidays, and his pleasure at being back with his beloved goats was overshadowed by a growing frustration over the secrecy and lies which surrounded his family. He had already seen that Ariana was no better, although she had fed the goats with him that morning as usual. His mother looked tired, weary from the dual strain of keeping Ariana out of sight and shutting her ears to the whispers that followed her from shop to shop. Better by far, in Kendra's opinion, that her daughter was rumoured to be a Squib than that the truth be known.

The goat butted him impatiently, and Aberforth grasped the massive horns and shook them affectionately. "All right, Lucifer, all right. I'm being about as much use as Albus, aren't I? Might's well be stuck up in my room like him, writing to people, if I'm not going to pay you any more attention than this, right?"

He stood up, and the goat pranced delightedly and ran backwards a few steps. This was an old game, and Aberforth braced himself for the onslaught. Lucifer put his head down and ran at his master, who caught his horns at their base and cupped his hands around the broad forehead. They pushed at each other, hooves and boots struggling for a firm purchase on the cobblestones. The pair lurched back and forth, neither gaining a clear advantage, until suddenly Aberforth lost his footing and sprawled headlong. Lucifer placed one hoof gently in the small of his master's back in the victory stance Aberforth had taught him, before bowing his massive head and snuffling wetly in Aberforth's ear.

"Give over, you dafty," laughed the boy, rolling onto his back and looking up into the yellow eyes of his playmate. "We're wrestling this time, not kissing!"

Lucifer ignored the strictures and lay down on top of Aberforth, who yielded to the inevitable and embraced his pet. They lay there in perfect companionship, content in each other's company, until a sudden brilliant flash of lightning and simultaneous clap of thunder made Lucifer spring up in alarm. Aberforth groaned, for the goat's knee had dug into his abdomen, and one cloven hoof had ripped his trousers and scored his thigh. Then a scream from the house made him forget his pain and scramble to his feet.

He raced across the lawn, flung open the back door and ran into the kitchen. Kendra was cowering in one corner, while Ariana stood in the centre of the room, her arms swinging wildly. With each swing, some of the crockery on the dresser shattered, and the floor was already half-covered in broken fragments.

"It was the suddenness," gasped Kendra. "She was standing at the window, and the lightning flashed right in her eyes."

Aberforth nodded, his eyes on his sister. He held out his hands to Ariana, palms upward, and crooned soothingly. "It's all right, Ariana. It's all right, darling. Everything's going to be all right."

Ariana stared at him, her normally vacant eyes wild and terrified. She swung her arms again, and more plates crashed to the floor.

"Ariana, darling, it's all right. There's nothing to be frightened about. Come to Aberforth, sweetheart."

He took a cautious step toward his sister, knowing that if he moved too quickly, her terror would be turned onto him. She edged backwards.

"Come on, Ariana," he said soothingly. "It's me, Aberforth. You know I won't hurt you. You're safe here. It's all right, darling."

His tone of voice was the same one that Ariana had heard him use to the goats many times during their moon terrors, and some of the wildness left her eyes.

"That's right, Ariana," soothed Aberforth, as he sensed the slight easing of her tension. "Just relax, darling; you're safe. Nobody's going to hurt you."

He risked another small step toward her, and this time she didn't draw away. He held out a hand to her, and she stared at it blankly. Aberforth was accustomed to the phases of her outbursts by now, and this blankness was a typical sequel to the ferocity. He heaved a sigh of relief. She would be all right now, but he needed to get her away so that he could talk to his mother.

"Come on, Ariana. You're tired, aren't you, darling? Come with me, and I'll take you upstairs."

She went with him docilely, the blankness fading to weariness, as it usually did. Aberforth coaxed her to her bedroom and cosseted her, finally drawing the curtains and leaving her to rest in the dimness.

Back in the kitchen, he faced Kendra and raised his voice over the rain beating on the window. "Is this the first time she's reacted like that to a thunderstorm?" he demanded.

"N-no. Well, not exactly," said his mother unwillingly.

"What d'you mean, 'not exactly'?"

"She's seemed...a bit more fragile, lately."

"For how long?"

"Most of this term, I suppose," admitted Kendra.

"Why didn't you send me an owl?" growled Aberforth.

"You couldn't have done anything. Besides, I thought that if you came home, people would wonder why – especially if Albus didn't come, too."

Aberforth rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, of course. Heaven forbid anyone gets the idea that there's something wrong with the Dumbledores!" he sneered. "My precious elder brother would hate that, wouldn't he? All he cares about is his image. Why do you pander to him, Mother?"

"Your brother is brilliant," retorted his mother indignantly. "It's about time you learnt to respect that. He could become anything he wants to, and I won't do anything that would get in the way of – "

" – of his triumphal progress," finished her younger son ironically. "It's such a shame he's got a mad sister, isn't it? She'll always have to be hidden. Oh, but I forgot – Albus is such a natural at lies and secrecy."

"Ariana is _not_ mad," said Kendra vehemently. "She's just...damaged."

"Then why are you so ashamed for anyone to know about her?" challenged Aberforth. "I'm sick to death of all this concealment. Sick to death of going through life always thinking about smiling for the picture, so that everybody thinks the Dumbledores are perfect. We're _not_ perfect – though, god knows, Albus certainly thinks he is!"

Kendra sighed. "I wish you weren't so jealous of Albus."

"Why shouldn't I be?" flared Aberforth. "He's forever off doing his own thing, making important connections, writing clever articles that make everyone say how amazing he is, while _I'm_ the one who keeps things together here, _I'm_ the one who can keep Ariana calm, _I'm_ the one who knows how to look after her, _I'm_ the one she listens to, and yet nobody gives a damn about me – least of all him!"

"It's not like that, Aberforth," protested his mother.

"Oh, really?" snorted Aberforth. "Where is he now? Did _he_ come running when you screamed? No. Does he _ever_ step in when Ariana has one of her turns? No. Why don't you call him down here? Because you know damn well he won't get involved."

"Very well, then," said his mother, finally goaded to action by Aberforth's scorn. "I'll call him, and you'll see."

She pointed her wand at the ceiling and performed a circular motion. A shower of butterflies flew from the tip and disappeared. The pregnant silence which followed contrasted oddly with the rolling thunder outside. A few minutes later they heard Albus descending the staircase.

He looked questioningly at the two of them as he entered the room. "What is it, Mother? Can't it wait? I'm really very busy."

"There! You see?" burst out Aberforth. "I told you! His own sister just had another attack, and he's so busy he can't spare even a few minutes."

"Aberforth, please!" begged his mother.

Albus looked at his brother calmly. "Yes, I _am_ very busy. But if there's something wrong, of course I want to know about it."

Aberforth snorted in disbelief. "Go on then, Mother, tell him."

Kendra spoke unwillingly. "Ariana has been...more easily upset lately," she began. "The turns are becoming more frequent, and smaller things set her off. I've been thinking that perhaps we need to do something more for her."

"Such as what?" Albus asked cautiously.

"Well, maybe finding full-time care for her," Kendra said hesitantly.

"I could never agree to that," Albus said definitely. "We agreed that we didn't want anyone to know about her problem, and you can't get care for her without disclosing it."

Aberforth spoke scornfully. "You just don't want her to interfere with your life or spoil your reputation."

His brother glared at him. "And _you_ just want to interfere with my life as much as you possibly can."

"I don't give two hoots about your life," retorted Aberforth, "but I do care about my sister's life. I'd happily give up school myself to look after her."

Albus laughed derisively. "That'd be no great loss to the wizarding world – you can barely read, as it is."

Aberforth pulled out his wand and pointed it at his brother. "Say that again."

Albus laughed in genuine amusement this time. "You're fourteen years old, under-age, and pulling a wand on me, an adult wizard who's topped every year from first to sixth, and will probably top my final year too? Put it away, child."

Aberforth was a good duellist for his age, but he knew his brother was right; he was no match for Albus. He put his wand away ungraciously.

"Fine, then," he muttered. "Have you got a better solution?"

Albus thought carefully. Despite his feigned superiority, he knew very well that Ariana depended on Aberforth, and that Kendra was struggling to find the energy to deal with her daughter while he and his brother were away at school each term. In his heart of hearts, he envied Aberforth's connection with Ariana; he himself had never been able to soothe her as Aberforth did. In fact, she barely seemed to recognise him most of the time. It was this which lay at the bottom of his apparent indifference – by assuming an air of detachment, he could avoid displaying his weakness to Aberforth. The correspondence with notable wizards with which he had filled his time instead was both an emotional refuge for him and a means of impressing outsiders with the family's respectability.

"It's obviously my duty to take Father's place," he began slowly, "but I do think I should finish school first."

His mother nodded vigorously. "I shouldn't dream of allowing you to leave now!" she exclaimed.

Albus acknowledged her words. "That's all very well, Mother, but can you undertake to look after Ariana for two more terms? Because if you can't, then I shall have to leave school early."

Kendra hesitated. She was loath to admit to the boys how difficult it was becoming for her to control Ariana during her outbursts, but neither could she face the alternatives – of Albus leaving school early or of them disclosing Ariana's problem to the outside world and having her taken away.

"I – I suppose I can," she conceded reluctantly.

"Do you agree with that, Aberforth?" asked Albus, turning to his brother.

Aberforth scowled. He could see that neither his mother nor his brother would allow him to leave school to look after his sister, nor would Albus consent to disclosing the problem to outsiders. He had no faith in Albus's ability to deal with Ariana even once he left school, but perhaps by then Albus might be more willing to consider allowing him, Aberforth, to be Ariana's carer.

"It doesn't look like I have any choice," he glowered. "But by heaven, Albus, if Ariana suffers because you choose to be selfish, I swear I'll make you pay for it to the end of your days!"

Kendra heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn't unduly worried by Aberforth's final threat, for she had great faith in her sons' underlying affection for each other. It was just because they were such different characters that they were frequently at odds. She pulled the curtains closed to shut out the vivid lightning and began to sweep up the fragments of china.


End file.
